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| 3/18/2009 12:42:00 PM | Email this article • Print this article | Bloggers offer news,
but scope too narrow
Jack Miles
Editor
The best bloggers are experts who provide valuable information to readers.
But bloggers, in general, are not journalists. Bloggers often offer one-sided opinions, not news, on such subjects as politics, health, the environment...
The best bloggers may be accurate, but what if they are not?
Do editors force them to double-check facts? Must they seek opposing opinions? What risks do they face for being wrong accidentally? Or intentionally? Will they replace papers such as the now-defunct Rocky Mountain News and Seattle Post Intelligencer by covering everyday news events?
This is National Sunshine Week, that time of year to reflect on how mainstream media serves the public. Unlike most bloggers, mainstream reporters must deal with editors who question articles before the information is presented to the public. Editors also know that - not just in physics, but in life - for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, meaning reporters need to know that if there is more than one side of a story, those other sides must be presented. If a reporter is wrong, he must write a contrite correction saying so and if a reporter is wrong intentionally, he is unlikely to remain a reporter for long. And, no, bloggers cannot replace the width and breadth of reporting in such papers as Rocky; they will not even try.
Bloggers have value, but people who value democracy need to understand the narrow agenda and resources of bloggers are no substitute for the broad agenda and resources of reporters.
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